Railway track switch controlling apparatus



' May 1, 1934. P. F. WILLARD RAILWAY TRACK SWITCH CONTROLLING APPARATUSFiled Jan. 28, 1935 +0 R 0 M5 0 5L 7 mm m WL i, b S 2 H r Z Z A] P .fi IV Y B m K a m H t f 9 i 9% \z I F V p a d P mw: Clllnl b\ l 3 v; H V m 5B B oflice.

Patented May 1, 1934 D STATES Arsri RAILWAY TRACK SWITCH CONTROLLINGAPPARATUS Paul F. Willard, Wilkinsburg, Ia., assignor to The UnionSwitch &

Si n mpany, Swiss- 2 Claims.

My invention relatesto railway track switch controlling-apparatus of atype'wherein the operations of arailway track switch are at timeseffected from-a point remote from the switch, and are at other timeseffected from a point adjacent the switch.

More specifically, my-invention relates to apparatus wherein a controllever adjacent a switch, when ina first-position, permits normal andreverse operations of the switch to be effected from a remote point,and, when'moved to a second or a third position, itself causes theswitch to be operated to the normal or the reverse position,respectively.

I will describe one form of apparatus embodying my invention, and willthen point out the novel features thereof in claims.

The accompanying drawing is a diagrammatic view showing one form ofapparatus embodying my invention.

Referring to the-drawing, the reference character]? designates a railwaytrack switch which is moved from normal to reverse positions and viceversa'by some suitable device such for example, as a fluid pressuremechanism M, which is equipped with control magnets designated by thereference characters N, L and R, respectively. Magnets N, L andR arecontrolled bya: lever V which may be located at a remote point such, forexample, as an interlocking tower or a train .dispatchers oflice, andbya lever .V which may be located adjacentswitchF. In conjunction withswitch F, mechanism M operates a pair of polechanging contacts 3 and 5which become closed ina given position when switch-F is moved to itsnormal position, and which become closed in a second position whenswitch F is .moved to .its reverse position.

A signal, designated by the-reference character S, governs trafiicmovements over switch F when switch F is in its normal position in whichit is shown in the drawing. Signal Sis controlled by a lever V which maybe located with lever V in an interlocking tower or a train dispatchersSignal Sis also controlled by a switch indication relay K which isenergized in the normal or the reverse direction, when lever V is in itsnormal position, according as mechanism M operates switch F to itsnormal or its reverse position.

Lever V has a normal position n, a center position 0, and a reverseposition 1'. Lever V operates a contact 1 which is closed whenlever V isinits n position or at .a point b, orat any other point between positionn and point I). :Lever 1V operates a second contact 6 which is closedwhen lever V is in its r position or at a point (2, or at any otherpoint between position 1' and point d. Lever V also operates a thirdcontact 8 which is closed at either-point b or point 01, or at any otherlocation between these two points. A fourth contact 13 operated by leverV is closed only when lever V is in its 0 position.

Each of the levers V and V has a normal position m, a left reverseposition 1, and a right reverse position t. Lever V operates a contact12 which is closed only when lever V is in its right reverse position1'. Lever V may also be provided with a contact which is closed whenlever V is in its f position for controlling other signals for governingtrafiic movements over switch F. Lever V is provided with threecontacts2, .4 and 7, each of which is closed when lever V is in its m positiononly. Lever V also operates a contact 14 which is closed when lever V isin its j position only, and a contact 15 which is closed when leverV isin its t position only.

When lever V is in its m position, in which it is shown in the drawing,operations of mechanism M for moving switchF to its normal and reversepositions are effected by lever V through its control of magnets N, Land R. If lever'V is moved to its 0 position, operations of mechanism Mfor moving switch F to its normal and reverse positions can be effectedby lever V -As shown in the drawing, lever V is in its 11. position,each of the levers V andV is in its 11 position, and switch'F is in itsnormal position. With lever V in its 1L position and with lever V in itsm position, magnet N is energized by a circuit passing from terminal Bof a source of current not shown in the drawing, through contact 1 oflever V contact 2 of lever V and the winding of magnet N to terminal 0of the same source of current. With switch F in its normal position andwith lever V in its m position, indication relay K is energized in thenormal direction by current supplied from terminal '28, through contacts3 and 5 in the normal position, and contact 4 of lever V to the windingof relay K. With lever V in its m position, a circuit for controllingthe mechanism of signal S, only a portion of which is shown in thedrawing, is open at contact 12 of lever V Signal S is thereforeindicating stop.

I will now assume that the leverman or the dispatcher who has charge oflevers V and'V desires switch F to be moved to its reverse position. Hewill therefore move lever V to point d, thereby completing a circuit forenergizing magnet R, passing from terminal 13, through contact 6 oflever V contact '7 of lever V and the winding of magnet R to terminal 0.With lever V at point d, magnet L will also be energized by currentpassing from terminal B, through con tact 8 of lever V and the windingof magnet L to terminal 0. With magnets L and R energized, mechanism Mwill move switch F to its reverse position. Upon the completion of thisoperation, the leverman will move lever V to its r position, therebydeenergizing magnet L but retaining magnet R in its energized condition.The moving of switch F to its reverse position will cause contacts 3 and5 to be moved to their second position, which will cause relay K to beenergized by current of reverse polarity and open its contact 11 in thecircuit for controlling the mechanism of signal S.

If now the leverman should. desire to return switch F to its normalposition, he will move lever V to point 1), thereby completing thecircuit previously traced for energizing magnet N, and also completingthe circuit previously traced for energizing magnet L. Mechanism M willthen move switch F to its normal position. This operation of switch Fwill cause pole-changer contacts 3 and 5 to be returned to the positionin which they are shown in the drawing, and hence relay K will againbecome energized in the normal direction.

If the leverman should now desire to clear signal S, he will move leverV to its 15 position, thereby completing the portion of the circuit forsignal S shown in the drawing, which includes contacts 10 and 11 ofrelay K and contact 12 of lever V If other conditions are correct forclosing the portion of the circuit for signal S not shown in thedrawing, signal S will therefore be operated to its proceed position.

I will next assume that all parts of the apparatus are again returned totheir normal condition, and that it is then desired that switch F shallbe controlled locally for switching movements. The leverman or thedispatcher in charge of levers V and V will therefore move lever V toits 0 position in which contacts 8 and 13 of this lever will be closed.

If now a trainman moves lever V to its position, a circuit will becompleted for energizing magnet R, passing from terminal B, throughcontact 13 of lever V contact 15 of lever V and the winding of magnet Rto terminal 0. With contact 8 of lever V closed, magnet L will beenergized by its circuit previously traced. With magnets L and R.energized, mechanism M will move switch F to its reverse position aspreviously described. The moving of lever V away from its m positioncauses contact 4 of thislever to be opened, and hence causes indicationrelay K to become deenergized. The manual movement of switch F by thetrainman to its reverse position will therefore have no effect on relayK.

When the trainman desires to return switch F to its normal position, hewill move lever V to its f position, thus causing a circuit to becompleted for magnet N, passing from terminal 13, through contact 13 oflever V contact 14 of lever V and the windingof magnet N to terminal 0.With magnet N thus energized and with magnet L energized as previouslydescribed, mechanism M will return switch F to its normal position.Contact 4 of lever V will again be open, with lever V in its f position,and hence relay K will be deenergized. With relay K deenergized, contact10 of this relay will be open,

and hence signal S could not be cleared even if lever V should bymistake he moved to its 25 position and if contact 11 of relay K wereclosed.

If now lever V is returned to its 172 position, and if lever V is thenmoved to its n or its 1* position, switch F will be operated to itsnormal or its reverse position, respectively. As previously described,the completion of the movement of lever V from point (2 to its 1position or from point 27 to its 11 position will open contact 8 of thislever, and hence magnet L will be deenergized.

If, with lever V in its n or its r position, switch F should by somemeans be displaced from its normal or its reverse position, theconsequent movement of pole changer contacts 3 and 5 will cause relay Kto become deenergized. A circuit known as a restoring circuit Willtherefore be completed for magnet L, passing from terminal B, throughcontact 9 of relay K, and the winding of magnet L to terminal 0. Withmagnet L thus energized, mechanism M will restore switch F to theposition corresponding to which of the magnets N and R is energized.

On account of relay K being controlled by contact 4 of lever V contact13 of lever V could be omitted and lever V could be left in either its nor its r position while switch F is being operated as controlled bymovements of lever V to its or its t position. Contacts 14 and 15 oflever V would then be connected directly with terminal B instead of withcontact 13 of lever V Magnet L would then be energized through contact 9of relay K, as previously described, while either magnet N or R isenergized as controlled by lever V From the foregoing description andthe ace companying drawing, it follows that one form of apparatusembodying my invention comprises a switch operated by a fluid pressuremechanism; a three-position lever for controlling the switch from aremote point if a second three-position lever adjacent the switchoccupies a normal position; and means controlled by the lever adjacentthe switch for moving the switch to its nor mal or its reverse positionaccording as this lever is moved to a second or a third position,respectively.

Although I have herein shown and described only one form of railwaytrack switch controlling apparatus embodying my invention, it isunderstood that various changes and modifications may be made thereinwithin the scope of the appended claims without departing from thespirit and scope of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is: p

1. In combination, a railway track switch, operating mechanism for saidswitch, a first and a second control lever each of which has a first anda second and a third position, means controlled by said second leverwhen moved to its third position and by said first lever for contro lingsaid operating mechanism to move said switch to its normal or itsreverse position according as said first lever is moved to its first orits second position, and means controlled by said first lever when movedto its third position and by said second lever for controlling saidoperating mechanism to move said switch to its normal or its reverseposition according as said second lever is moved to its first or itssecond position.

2. In combination, a railway track switch, a normal and a reversecontrol magnet for conlever and the first contact of said second leverfor energizing said normal magnet, a third circuit including the secondcontact of said first lever for energizing said reverse magnet, and afourth circuit including the second contact of said second lever forenergizing said reverse magnet.

PAUL F. WILLARD.

